Kolkata: The Indian Navy on Saturday launched DSC A 23, the fourth vessel under its Diving Support Craft (DSC) project, at Titagarh in West Bengal, marking a key step in boosting its underwater operational capabilities. The vessel was launched by Mrs Deepa Sivakumar in the presence of Vice Admiral B Sivakumar, Chief of Materiel. Senior officials from the Navy and Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL) attended the ceremony, which was conducted with full naval traditions.
Built by TRSL, DSC A 23 is part of a five-ship project and features a 30-metre catamaran hull with a displacement of around 380 tonnes. The design offers improved stability, larger deck area and better sea-keeping, making it suitable for diving operations in coastal waters and harbours. The vessel has been designed in line with norms of the Indian Register of Shipping and underwent model testing and hydrodynamic analysis at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory in Visakhapatnam.
Once inducted, the craft will enhance the Navy’s capabilities in diving support, underwater inspection, salvage operations and coastal deployments. Officials said around 70% of the equipment has been sourced domestically, aligning with the government’s push for indigenous defence manufacturing under Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives.